A STUDY OF THE PREVALENCE OF THE USE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF OIL an‎d FAT IN URBAN an‎d RURAL IRANIAN COMMUNITIES ACCORDING TO EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is increasing in industrialized communities. Dyslipidemia is a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor which is related to diet, especially consumption of hard margarine and hydrogenated fat. The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors differs in communities. We studied the prevalence of consumption of different types of oil and fat in areas of Central Iran. METHODS: The subjects were selected using randomized cluster sampling and divided into rural and urban groups. A 48-item standard food frequency questionnaire was filled out for every subject by a trained interviewer, who also obtained demographic data. Data were analyzed with SPSS. Different educational groups and the two sexes in urban and rural areas were compared using chi square test and paired t-test. P values below 0.05 were considered as significant. RESULTS: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 12600 adult subjects aged above 19 years in the cities of Isfahan, Najafabad, and Arak. Consumption of olive oil and other types of oil in the urban community of Isfahan was higher than in the rural community. Consumption of animal oil and fat was higher in the rural community of Isfahan. In subjects with high school education and higher, consumption of different types of oil was not found to be different between urban and rural communities, or between men and women. In Arak, no difference was found between rural and urban subjects with high school education and higher, in respect of consumption of different types of oil. Among subjects with lower education, however, consumption of olive oil and other types of oil was higher in urban areas and consumption of animal oil and fat was higher in rural men. In Najafabad, no difference was found between different educational groups in respect of the different types of oil consumed; only consumption of animal oil in rural subjects educated below high school diploma was higher than in cities. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals with high school education and higher, no difference was found between rural and urban populations in respect of the types of oil consumed. However, among individuals with low education, consumption of animal oil and fat as well as hard margarine was higher in the rural population, while the urban population consumed higher amounts of oil and olive oil. The pattern of oil and fat consumption in men and women was different in the cities of Najafabad and Arak, but almost similar in Isfahan. Geographical location and education affect the pattern of oil and fat consumption. Unhealthy lifestyle habits are more prevalent in members of the rural population with low education.